I left my carrots in the ground over last winter until I'd used them all up - I covered them in a very thick layer of straw with fleece on top of that and they were just fine.

Parsnips are very hardy and can be left out with very minimal protection unless the ground looks like completely freezing over in which case you may want to take precautions to ensure you can still prize them out of the ground.

I left my carrots in the ground over last winter until I'd used them all up - I covered them in a very thick layer of straw with fleece on top of that and they were just fine. ...

They leave their carrots and beetroot in the ground and just pick them as they need them till they are all gone, or nor worth picking any more.

They plant several kinds of spuds and eat them through the season, but the Pink Fir Apple are left in thr ground till ?February and just dug up as required. The longer they stay in the ground the nutter they taste (and the bigger they get). Some do get clobbered by slugs, but not enough to worry about.

she has always wanted to make a clump for spuds and carrots but has never had the bottle to do it. The clump site has spurred her on to have a go. thanks for that, shaun!